


Crackling Fire

by Elinie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas AU, Co-workers AU, F/M, Fluff, Hearts & Cauldrons SSHG Server's Snolidays 2020, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28174638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elinie/pseuds/Elinie
Summary: They worked closely for almost two years pretending not to notice each other. Hermione never annoyed him openly with her presence: the fact that Snape appreciated to no end, but still, he somehow felt that she was always close, as if watching him and his apothecary from afar. She left him birthday cakes on the windowsill when this much hated day of the yeas came, she asked about his health when he happened to suffer from migraines attacks and she always stayed until late hours to wait for him to close for the night.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55
Collections: Hearts and Cauldrons Discord Members





	Crackling Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mersheeple](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mersheeple/gifts), [SeverusSnep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeverusSnep/gifts), [Kiromenanz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiromenanz/gifts), [MizzAdamz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizzAdamz/gifts).



The Apothecary was quiet and slightly dark. Early winter twilight was fast approaching, making evening shadows creep out of their hidden places, their long tales visible in the hazy lights of almost-darkness. Severus didn't feel like switching the lights on just yet. He was almost happy in the greyish twilight of his working place he considered his safe haven. 

A couple of years after the War he claimed his fortune still kept in his Gringotts Vault and bought this old and rusty two-story building in almost center of Diagon Alley. He acted with the audacity only he himself was capable of. Snape let the slightest of smirks touch his lips: he remembered how shocked all merchants of Diagon Alley had been when he started his small business of brewing exclusive potions and named his Apothecary: "Dr. Dee's Black Stone"* and considered his job done. 

Despite all his dark past and misdeeds, Snape's business started growing fast thanks to his remained connections and the fame of the famous Potion Master of Britain and beyond. Finally, with the time passing, Severus found time to fulfill his desires. He brewed for St. Mungo's and for wizarding hospitals outside the country, he created elixirs for private clients, he worked on his own projects on improving the already existing potions. Snape dedicated the time to himself - the luxury he never had in the past. 

Snape decided that he finally had the right to feel something closer to happiness. He was free of all his debts and he had his life all to himself now. And all the time in the world. 

Across his dark and mysterious Apothecary, always smelling of herbs and full of Obsidian stones laying here and there on some surfaces, there was a small and cozy bookshop called: "Second Chance Books". And a certain bushy-haired witch was a proud owner of that bookshop. At first, Snape paid Hermione no attention. What was she now to him? A mere former student? He decided to ignore the fact that she defended him in front of the Wizengamot and fought for his rights much as she did for every one of her friends. The Battle was over. He owed nothing to anyone now. 

Hermione seemed unfazed with his coldness. Her shop was always bright, flooded with candlelight and the smells of coffee or freshly-brewed hot chocolate: the thing that Snape was unable to understand - how could anyone, let alone such bookworm as Hermione, could let dangerous liquids near precious books, no matter second-handed or new? 

Anyway, they worked closely for almost two years pretending not to notice each other. Hermione never annoyed him openly with her presence: the fact that Snape appreciated to no end, but still, he somehow felt that she was always close, as if watching him and his apothecary from afar. She left him birthday cakes on the windowsill when this much hated day of the year came, she asked about his health when he happened to suffer from migraine attacks and she always stayed until late hours to wait for him to close for the night. 

At first, Snape grumbled his disagreement. One evening, when Hermione supposedly didn't manage to wait for him to close and left early in order to pay a visit to the newlywed Neville Longbottom and Luna, Snape noticed the smoke slowly coming out of the closed windows of her bookshop. Snape didn't have time for hesitation: he couldn't let all her hard work burn literally, though he was determined to berate her for carelessness later. 

The next morning sobbing and slightly disheveled Hermione was standing on his doorstep with her endless gratefulness and glazed cupcakes in her hands. That's how their tentative friendship started. 

Snape was sure to consider her his friend, not that he ever gave his friendship lightly. Something about Hermione's attitude made him look at her closely and change his mind about her. She never imposed her company on him, but she showed him that she was there for him. She brought him books and first-edition potions' articles, she left a cup of coffee on his windowsill in the morning, she lit her fireplace in the dead of winter and always invited him to join her in her quiet celebrations. He was still contemplating her offer. 

Now Diagon Alley was flooded with Christmas lights and festive tinsels making Snape roll his eyes in annoyance. The fact that Hermione teased him about Abeniser Scrooge and his infamous Ghosts of Christmas didn't help Snape's dark mood. The thing was that Hermione was going to leave for the holidays and visit her parents in Australia. That meant an entire week without her, her coffee, and her always bright-lit bookshop.

His own feelings confused Snape to no end. 

Only yesterday he listened to Hermione's sudden proposal to join her on an icerink and to his endless disbelief, he agreed. Hermione was a terrible skater and she screamed more than actually skated. Snape didn't miss his chance to tease her.

"Why would you decide to ice-skate today if you barely can stand, let alone skate?" he whispered sliding closer to her and taking her by the elbow. 

"I decided to give it a try. My first attempt in my childhood was unsuccessful, I nearly broke my arm. Now you are with me, it's my second chance."

She clung to him like a grapevine, forcing him to carry her along. He definitely knew his ice-skating better than she did. Though, her shrieks of joy made him happy. 

After that Hermione unexpectedly dragged Snape into the battle of snowballs. And a couple of hours later they found themselves at her doorstep, both red in the face, wet from the snow, and slightly shy of their almost teenage behavior. Hermione never dared to ask Severus to accompany her to Australia. Snape never dared to ask her to stay home. If only just for Christmas. 

So, she left and the next few days he was left to his own devices. Snape felt blue like he never felt before. He never cared for Christmas, and the entire Diagon Alley seemed dark and gloomy without the lights of Hermione's bookshop. 

Closer to midnight, when Severus slowly started drifting into an uneasy sleep, he noticed the light slightly flicking from the bookshop window. Snape jumped to his feet and rushed across the street forgetting both his wand and his warm coat. He anticipated another accident involving candles burning Hermione's curtains, or Crooskhanks messing with table lamps, what he didn't expect was Hermione herself, thoughtfully drinking hot chocolate by the crackling fireplace. 

Snape caught his breath, lingering at her doorstep, and stepped into the room flooded with warm orange light and cedarwood burning in the flames.

"I thought you were going to leave for Christmas..." he managed to mutter. Hermione lifted her head to look at him and motioned with her hand for him to join her. 

"I don't know how to feel about this anymore, Severus. About this thing, I don't even have the name for, about my shop of second chances and about...us."

"I was planning to drink myself dead and sleep right through the end of December." Severus joked humoroulessly. Hermione shook her head. 

"I've been working closely with you for two years, believe it or not, but I cannot stay without your Apothecary, your sarcastic jokes, your Obsidian stones, your clever remarks, and simply without your presence anymore," Hermione confessed finishing her hot chocolate in one gulp. 

Snape sat closer and took her trembling hand in his larger palm, entwining their fingers together. 

"I am a private person, Hermione, more time than not, so don't expect loud words and fervent confessions from me, though I will still say one thing: I crave for your presence. I wait for your coffee first thing in the morning. I anticipate your fireplace to crack in the evening. Your bookshop gives me closure. As you do all the time."

She felt her breath hitching, deeply touched by his words. 

"Oh, Severus, I don't know what to say," she let out a shaky breath. 

Snape motioned with his chin somewhere up her head and smiled mischievously. Hermione followed his movements and blushed: a mistletoe was blooming brightly right above their heads. 

"So, what will you say, Severus?"

"I shall say that this is our second chance, Hermione, let's not miss it," Severus replied before lighting her chin up and kissing her thoroughly. 

And the fire cracked for them all night through filling the room with orange light and their hearts with love and warmth. 

End. 

**Author's Note:**

> *John Dee was Elizabeth the first's chief astronomer, spy, and the creator of the Enochian Script claiming it was the language of the Angels. The Black Stone is an artifact that claims to be the tool he used to communicate with the Angels.  
> Thanks to MizzAdamz for the help with the name of Severus' Apothecary :)


End file.
